Acme Foundry specializes in the manufacturing of gray iron castings – a material that offers outstanding thermal properties, damping characteristics, and excellent strength combined with ease of workability and machinability. That makes it ideal for a wide range of industrial product applications, from housing materials and hydraulic parts to machine bases and various components.
- Industrial valves and fittings
- Compressors, pumped and other pressurized systems
- Commercial construction equipment
- Power plant components (e.g. diesel engine components)
- Various vehicle and transportation system products
Along with ductile iron, gray cast iron is one of the most commonly used materials for a wide range of machinery in industrial manufacturing applications. We compare the two materials below, along with more of the common industrial manufacturing applications.
The Advantages of Gray Iron Casting vs. Ductile Iron Casting
- Improved Vibration Damping – Compared to ductile iron material, gray iron dampens vibrations more effectively. This is a critical attribute for precision machining applications that require minimum vibration to achieve close tolerances, as well as a multitude of applications that require reduced NVH attributes (noise, vibration and harshness).
- Increased Machinability – As a material, gray cast iron is much easier to machine than ductile iron. This is due to the metallurgical properties of gray iron, which allow it to be precision CNC machined faster, more reliably and consistently.
- Decreased Production Costs – It’s typically easier to work with gray iron material in both casting and machining. That means gray iron can offer cost savings in industrial applications that do not require the improved ductility or impact strength of ductile iron.
Common Industrial Product Applications for Gray Cast Iron
As a readily available, lightweight, and affordable metal, gray cast iron is the ideal material for a wide range of commercial and industrial sectors. For example, any manufacturing application that requires enhanced vibration damping (e.g. equipment frames and fixtures). Other common product applications for gray cast iron include:
Industrial Pipes and Fittings
Gray cast iron pipes and fittings are used throughout the industrial sector for plumbing, drainage, and cooling systems. It’s a cost-effective material for manufacturing custom pipes and fittings while offering good corrosion resistance and outstanding strength to stand up to tough factory environments.
Compressor Housings and Hydraulic Pump Components
Grey iron is a commonly used material for industrial compressor housings and cylinders, as well as various hydraulic pump parts. With exceptional compressive strength, the material is able to reliably withstand the high pressures and vibration generally inherent in these applications.
Machine Mounts and Structures
The exceptional vibration damping properties of gray cast iron make it especially well-suited for the fabrication of machine tool structures, bases, and mounts. Not only does the material help reduce noise and vibration, it can also enhance machine precision and reduce manufacturing errors.
Other Industrial Machinery Components
Gray iron is commonly used to manufacture many other various industrial components and machinery parts such as gears, pulleys, and machine housings. Gray iron’s damping properties help keep factory workplaces safer, quieter, and more comfortable, while also offering great wear resistance and durability for an extended service life.
Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Parts
Gray cast iron is also commonly used in various agricultural machinery components such as plow shares, tillers, related mounts and brackets, other tractor parts, as well as irrigation system components. The material’s damping properties combined with its wear resistance and compressive strength make it ideal for commercial agricultural and farming applications.
Why Choose Gray Iron as a Manufacturing Material?
In addition to the application-specific benefits discussed above, gray iron offers a number of general material advantages. It exhibits outstanding thermal properties, great compressive strength, and exceptional damping properties which make it well-suited for applications of noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) reduction. Learn more about the unique material advantages of gray iron in our previous blog – Physical and Mechanical Advantages of Gray Iron Material.
Quality American Casting Services for Industrial Parts and Components
Acme is one of the nation’s leading foundries specializing in industrial parts and similar high-performance castings. Established in 1905, our company is backed by more than 120 years of casting experience and superior American craftsmanship.